As 2025 crawls to its conclusion, we look back on the whole season with the Middle East grabbing plenty of headlines spanning three major countries. What better way to reflect than with another episode at 36,000ft up in the air featuring our c-host.

With the whole focus on AI and even branching out to mergers/acquisitions, there hasn't been a quiet period at all. Yet, there are some surprises that have crept in as well including Qatar joining their neighbor's ranks with their own efforts related to AI and many more.

With the podcast, it's been a significant step-up as we brought on guests focused on many themes relevant to the Middle East region itself.

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If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message.

• Yasser Masood (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)
• Gazanfarulla Khan (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)
• The Geeky Nomads (⁠⁠Website⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Gazanfarulla Khan travels from Doha, Qatar to Lisbon, Portugal to attend the 10th edition of Web Summit Lisbon - the main anchor event among all the Web Summit chapters held throughout the year.

Along with highlighting the Lisbon event's significance, the focus for the event has still been on AI and alongside the growing demands for it across industries.

With more than 71,000 attendees also including representation of women in startups, Khan even chimes in on the intersection of technology and Formula 1.

As the calendar year draws to a close, Qatar is also set to host WSJ Tech Live Qatar and MWC Doha in the coming weeks. Plus, we expand a bit more on our next episode related to job hunting in the Middle East region.

Related readings referenced in the episode:

• Microsoft's AI Diffusion report
• Progress of Stargate UAE
• Microsoft's $15.2Bn investment in UAE for AI

-- Chapters --

00:00 Onsite in Lisbon, Portugal

04:38 Web Summit Lisbon's Opening Night

10:19 AI Trends and Innovations at Web Summit Lisbon

17:46 Investment Trends and Market Dynamics

19:44 Energy consumption trends for AI Data Centers

23:42 Women in Startups and Social Impact

26:41 Upcoming episode on job hunting in the MENA region

28:08 Career Ladder at Web Summit Lisbon

30:03 Web Summit Lisbon Highlights

35:29 F1 at Web Summit

42:10 Media Landscape and Opportunities

45:35 WSJ Tech Live in Qatar

48:00 Ending Remarks

Personal branding has been growing in places like the USA/Canada and Europe, and the MENA region is slowly seeing a shift in embracing it. South Asians and Arabs believe their social standing is completely tethered to a fancy job title and/or prominent business brand.

We've invited Sabine Kuhn - founder of Talent and Truth, a boutique personal branding consultancy dedicated to building high-impact executive brands on LinkedIn and beyond - to expand and dive into the shift and trends of personal branding by professionals in the region.

If you're looking to elevate and enhance your personal brand, we've got some actionable insights and even simple tricks to kick-start the process.

You can use "50SIGNUPS" to avail her first course to kick-start your personal brand journey based on years of work with their pool of clients.

Don't forget to follow Sabine Kuhn and Talent and Truth on LinkedIn.

Watch the video version on YouTube.

-- Chapters --

00:00 Opening

00:33 Today's episode: Personal branding in MENA region

02:02 Introducing our guest

04:19 The Birth of Talent and Truth

08:11 Common Myths of Personal Branding

09:19 Cultural Perceptions in the MENA Region

13:05 Trends in Personal Branding

18:07 The Role of Content Creators for CEOs

20:18 Navigating LinkedIn and Instagram for Branding

27:17 Language and Quality Control

30:08 Common Pitfalls in Personal Branding

33:46 Balancing Authenticity and Professionalism

36:40 Understanding ROI in Personal Branding

40:29 Those who want LinkedIn Top Voice status

42:53 Challenge of Virality vs. Thought Leadership

47:21 Future of Recruitment and Likeability

52:04 Random: Yasser and Khan's presence on LinkedIn

54:58 Importance of Direct Communication

57:24 Building Connections on LinkedIn

58:49 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile for success

01:02:47 Crafting an Engaging LinkedIn Biography

01:06:32 Establishing a Posting Routine

01:08:28 Future Directions for Talent and Truth

01:10:47 Learning from Experience

01:15:17 Overcoming Personal Branding Fears

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If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. You can also suggest it ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via Google Forms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

• Yasser Masood (⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠)
• Gazanfarulla Khan (⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠)
• The Geeky Nomads (⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠)

Fellow tech enthusiasts! We're bringing you along on our journey to the first-ever Web Summit in Vancouver (previously known as Collision held in Toronto, Canada). We're diving into the heart of the tech world, sharing our personal experiences and the incredible energy of this event. From AI to machine learning, and the unique vibe of Vancouver, we're excited to share what we've discovered.

- Chapters -

00:00 Introduction to Web Summit Vancouver

02:39 Comparing Web Summit Locations

05:05 Key Highlights from Web Summit Vancouver

08:23 Insights on BlueSky and Decentralized Social Networks

11:16 Startup Ecosystem and Investment Opportunities

14:13 Vancouver's Tech Landscape and Industry Drivers

17:08 Reflections on Event Organization and Experience

20:43 AI and Machine Learning Discussions

22:50 Closing Thoughts and Future Prospects

26:41 AI's Understanding of Identity

28:31 Governance and AI Accessibility

30:31 The Future of AI Investments

33:14 Media Presence and Community Engagement

39:55 The Evolution of Content Creation

49:05 Reflections on Web Summit Vancouver

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If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. You can also suggest it ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via Google Forms⁠⁠⁠⁠.

• Yasser Masood (⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠)
• Gazanfarulla Khan (⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠)
• The Geeky Nomads (⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠)

We're back with another episode up in the air at 36,000ft and going even higher with a guest joining us on the move while on-ground. Shashank Nigam (CEO of aviation consultancy Simpliflying) joins us to talk about the evolving landscape of the aviation industry, focusing on sustainability, connectivity innovations, and the role of technology in enhancing customer experience.

We even explore the challenges and opportunities presented by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and the importance of airports in shaping the future of air travel. All while being focused on the Middle East region and the aviation players that have disrupted the status quo.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to the Podcast

(01:30) Let's introduce our guest

(04:30) Recent Boeing Aircraft Orders

(05:35) The Impact of Technology on Air Travel

(08:05) Riyadh Air's product strategy

(09:04) In-flight Wi-Fi connectivity

(11:37) The early path for in-flight connectivity

(14:05) Enhancing Customer Experience with Connectivity

(16:37) Personalized AI interactions for travellers

(18:17) AI resolving a major issue

(21:05) Airline apps that made inconveniences better

(23:34) Airports as Key Differentiators

(24:32) A Long-Term Vision for Smart Airports

(26:14) The Role of Pre-Clearance Facilities

(30:44) Innovative Funding for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

(33:03) Corporate Responsibility in Aviation Sustainability

(36:44) Evolving Technologies and Government Policies in Aviation

(39:59) Balancing Growth and Sustainability in Aviation

(46:54) Navigating Connectivity Challenges

(49:33) Sustainable Aviation Fuel in the Middle East

(52:16) Innovative Airport Designs for Sustainability

(54:49) Leadership in Aviation Sustainability

(56:03) Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

(56:19) Navigating Connectivity Challenges

(57:28) Sustainable Aviation Fuel in the Middle East

(01:00:12) Leadership in Aviation Sustainability

(01:03:22) The Future of Airports and Airlines

(01:06:26) Closing Thoughts and Future Insights

---

If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. You can also suggest it ⁠⁠⁠⁠via Google Forms⁠⁠⁠.

• Yasser Masood (⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠)
• Gazanfarulla Khan (⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠)
• The Geeky Nomads (⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠)

It's a new milestone for our podcast - we've brought our first guest, ready to unravel more of a big news piece we discussed a few episodes ago (hint: iHeartMedia).

Andy Kelly, the Senior Vice President of Ruby (iHeartMedia's branded content studio), joins us to discuss the vision behind their international expansion in partnership with the GCO of Qatar, the role of podcasting in the region, and the importance of creating localised content. The conversation also highlights the significance of human connection in audio, the challenges and opportunities in the MENA market, and the future of audio advertising with international expansion.

As of the moment the episode was published, Andy Kelly has been promoted to EVP of Global Brand Partnerships at iHeartMedia.

- Chapters -

(00:00) Introduction to iHeartMedia and Podcasting in MENA

(02:57) The Journey of iHeartMedia's International Expansion

(06:21) The Vision for Podcasting in the MENA Region

(09:07) Insights from Web Summit Qatar 2025

(12:00) The Role of Audio in Advertising

(15:19) Building a Podcasting Ecosystem in Qatar

(18:08) Creating Localised Content for Diverse Audiences

(21:11) Navigating Cultural Sensitivities in Content Creation

(24:08) Live Events and Community Engagement

(27:01) Future Plans for iHeartMedia in the MENA region

(38:59) Building a Creative Hub in Doha, Qatar

(42:03) The Future of Podcasting in MENA

(45:04) Understanding the Podcast Audience

(47:28) Collaborating with Regional Creators

(52:16) Branded Content and Market Demand

(53:52) Analytics and Support for Creators

(56:00) The Importance of Storytelling in Podcasting

---

If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. You can also suggest it ⁠⁠⁠via Google Forms⁠⁠.

• Yasser Masood (⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠)
• Gazanfarulla Khan (⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠)
• The Geeky Nomads (⁠Threads⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠)

This episode takes us to new heights — literally in every possible sense — as we decided to try something new. Gazanfarulla Khan was travelling to Montreal, and we recorded our episode live while Yasser was at home.

The venue and occasion made it quite an ideal scenario to discuss something relevant to the Middle East region - airlines/aviation/airports with the intersection of technology and AI, particularly focused on the advancements in the Middle East.

Tapping into Starlink technology for the in-flight Wi-Fi to record the episode, we cover everything related to: the digitization of airlines and airports, innovations in air traffic control, and the importance of sustainability in aviation.

On a future note: the possible return of hypersonic travel and growth in space tourism, Middle East's role as a hub for aviation innovation, and the significance of personalization in enhancing customer experience to remove pain points in the journey.

Note: These are our individual opinions, as I used to work for an airline and Khan is still currently employed at an airline.

-- Chapters --

(00:00) Introduction and Unique Recording Setup

(03:50) Technology in Aviation: A New Era

(09:57) Innovations in Airport Experience

(17:32) Sustainability in Aviation

(23:19) Future Trends and Technologies in Aviation

(32:15) The Rise of Hyper-Personalization in Aviation

(33:42) Sustainability in Air Travel

(35:41) The Future of Autonomous Technology in Aviation

(38:03) Innovations in Space Travel and Hypersonic Flight

(42:15) The Evolution of Airport Infrastructure in the Middle East

(48:07) The Role of Innovation Hubs in Aviation

(52:54) The Impact of Technology on the Travel Experience

---

If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. You can also suggest it ⁠⁠via Google Forms⁠.

• Yasser Masood (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube)
• Gazanfarulla Khan (LinkedIn, Instagram)
• The Geeky Nomads (Threads, Instagram, YouTube)